* State and local laws: These regulations vary significantly. Some states may have specific laws dictating retention periods for educational records, including grades. These laws often align with broader regulations on student data privacy (like FERPA in the US).
* School district policies: Individual school districts often have their own policies that dictate how long records are kept, which may be more or less stringent than state requirements.
* Type of record: The retention period might differ depending on the type of grade record. For example, official transcripts might be kept longer than daily grades recorded in a teacher's gradebook.
* Practical considerations: Even if there's no legal mandate, schools might keep records for practical reasons, such as responding to requests for letters of recommendation or addressing academic appeals years later.
In short: To find out the precise timeframe for a specific school or district, you must consult the school's policy or the relevant state/local regulations. Contacting the school administration or the district's records office is the best way to get definitive information.